msmoto said:
One thought I had was to take any other gear you have at the moment, pack it into individual shipping boxes and address them, then if needed you could have someone ship them to you.

Also, you made a statement about your fiancé not being too happy about all this. Not certain why you said this, but maybe you can sit down with someone and discuss the entire trip, goals to be accomplished, and then look at the equipment. So often, a non involved party can help us when we are going off for a long time. Maybe there is something else you are forgetting.

This all relates to playing in the big sandbox across the pond (from the US) as some have called it. My photography has nothing to do with the goals to be accomplished looking at it from a job standpoint, this is just something for me to relax and focus my attention somewhere else.

The fiance not happy about this is more of a stress for me feeling bad about leaving her behind you might say, she understands and is proud of me but still does not want to see me leave. With all this, I more wanted an outside check to make sure I was not forgetting something basic that would have been photography critical you might say. So far it seems I didn't loose my mind totally, lol.

Gear choice might be a bit strange but I understand and agree that it really depends on the person and location your heading to really know what your going to need. Unfortunately I really don't know all the information either so I am flying a bit blind on this trip. Thanks for everyone's input.

golf007sd on "Four months out ‘in the field’ - what do you need?"http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=2734&page=2#post-140100
Tue, 11 Dec 2012 18:57:54 +0000golf007sd140100@http://nikonrumors.com/forum/

Nice to see this pos come back to the front. I'm heading out of town on the 14th to about the 24 or later. So I have decided to take...hmmm lets see....Everything! Less the monopod. LOL!

And some more goodies...but you get the idea. I hate not having the what it take to get the shot I'm after. :P

Ooh and I get lucky to hook up with Eric up in Napa (which is where I'm heading), I just might get my hands on his 300 2.8 for a bit as well.

msmoto on "Four months out ‘in the field’ - what do you need?"http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=2734&page=2#post-140042
Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:28:35 +0000msmoto140042@http://nikonrumors.com/forum/

I have realized that each individual decision regarding what to take on a trip is actually made on what is to be photographed. And, I do not have any idea what the end goal is, scoobysmak.

One thought I had was to take any other gear you have at the moment, pack it into individual shipping boxes and address them, then if needed you could have someone ship them to you.

Also, you made a statement about your fiancé not being too happy about all this. Not certain why you said this, but maybe you can sit down with someone and discuss the entire trip, goals to be accomplished, and then look at the equipment. So often, a non involved party can help us when we are going off for a long time. Maybe there is something else you are forgetting.

Geoff_K on "Four months out ‘in the field’ - what do you need?"http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=2734&page=2#post-140012
Tue, 11 Dec 2012 16:40:37 +0000Geoff_K140012@http://nikonrumors.com/forum/

A portable HEATED shower. ;- >

kanuck on "Four months out ‘in the field’ - what do you need?"http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=2734&page=2#post-139056
Mon, 10 Dec 2012 20:20:02 +0000kanuck139056@http://nikonrumors.com/forum/

I was looking back at this original post and saw that the memory cards you were bringing were quite small for such a long trip. I realize you will be uploading to drives or a computer, but maybe for sanities sake a couple of 16GB cards might come in handy? Also, a vari ND filter would be a nice addition to anyones list for travel as well. A useful 77mm thin one from Singh Ray would round out anyones "must bring" list.

scoobysmak on "Four months out ‘in the field’ - what do you need?"http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=2734&page=2#post-138867
Mon, 10 Dec 2012 19:12:28 +0000scoobysmak138867@http://nikonrumors.com/forum/

I do understand the need for a spare camera, my only option would be my D7000 but honestly I hate the controls, it works fine though. I am limited to 100 lbs of total weight of which 42 lbs is already accounted for with the stuff they are makeing me take, I will be gone possibly more than a year so everything is a balance, that extra pair of socks had to be left at home.

I admit the flash stuff seems a bit off but I need to practice with it, its something I have the equipment but lack the skill and have not had the time to really work with it. Since the rest of my life has been put on hold, this hopefully will give me the time to work on my photography. I didn't have room for another camera body but breaking down the flash parts and putting a piece here and there I managed stuff it in. I do have an SB-900 but I couldn't put it where the SB-700 fits.

Thanks for the comments, I just figured it would be better to say what I got now instead of what I forgot later, lol...things like memory cards or the cord to the battery charger, ect.

sevencrossing on "Four months out ‘in the field’ - what do you need?"http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=2734&page=2#post-138518
Mon, 10 Dec 2012 08:23:43 +0000sevencrossing138518@http://nikonrumors.com/forum/

Re spare camera the D700 is pretty reliable
but if you do get a spare, why not anther D700 quite a few bargains at the moment
taking 2 flashes makes sense to me; I would also add an SB 910
if the tripod needs a plate, take a spare
I would be tempted to take a spare battery charger and sensor cleaning kit
As you are not taking a macro lens, may be a close up lens or extension rings
I would take 3 TT5's and forget the TT1 but that's just me

but you will have a much better idea of what you need than us

msmoto on "Four months out ‘in the field’ - what do you need?"http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=2734&page=2#post-138493
Mon, 10 Dec 2012 07:59:08 +0000msmoto138493@http://nikonrumors.com/forum/

For certain having a backup camera which will accept all the lenses. I like your choice, but would take along the D7000 as well, something to shoot with if the D700 malfunctions. I do not understand all the flash equipment. Shoot available light like in the old days....or at least some of us remember shooting ISO 400 at night.

That is my thought today.....

heartyfisher on "Four months out ‘in the field’ - what do you need?"http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=2734&page=2#post-138391
Mon, 10 Dec 2012 05:43:08 +0000heartyfisher138391@http://nikonrumors.com/forum/

* Backup camera : its usually a good idea to carry a tough P&S like the coolpix AW100, just in case your camera breaks down. Most people seem to take a second camera as well.

* why 2 flash ? one should be more than enough... cant think of a good reason to use a flash anyway. - unless you have some specific need.

* some people take a lot of memory cards and periodically send a copy back to themselves(or a friend). Just in case all the gear gets lost( or trampled by an elephant or fall into a ravine), you still have some photos that have been mailed home.

scoobysmak on "Four months out ‘in the field’ - what do you need?"http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=2734&page=2#post-138183
Sun, 09 Dec 2012 23:04:37 +0000scoobysmak138183@http://nikonrumors.com/forum/

Well this thread has not been too popluar lately, since I was the last one to respond to it.

I am now about to leave the country and figure I would post my gear list so everyone can tell me what I forgot, since I it seems I am not with it lately. Too much other stuff on my mind, like my fiance that is not happy about all this. Either way here it goes:

I figured I forgot something but can't think of it at the moment, life has just been way too busy. This actually might be a break for me in some ways, I haven't taken but maybe 100 pictures since July. Maybe I can contribute to the PAD during my trip but I won't know if I have internet until after I get there.

scoobysmak on "Four months out ‘in the field’ - what do you need?"http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=2734&page=2#post-91790
Wed, 09 May 2012 16:27:30 +0000scoobysmak91790@http://nikonrumors.com/forum/

Well I don't have any answers but figured I would post a question. I will probably be in a very dusty/sandy enviroment for possibly a year. I will only have room for maybe one camera and and a couple of lenses, I doubt a flash will make the trip. It has to fit in a pelican 1450 case (this includes chargers, batteries, memory cards, cleaning gear).

I would like to keep it working without too much work but understand that I will have to be more careful than normal, any suggestions or things that worked in a similar situation would be appreciated. I normally get my sensor cleaned locally and not really willing to do it myself but taking it to someone is not an option.

I might just get a compact camera but really want to take my D700, I might be forced to my D7000 just because its a bit smaller.

adamz on "Four months out ‘in the field’ - what do you need?"http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=2734&page=2#post-91575
Tue, 08 May 2012 07:58:42 +0000adamz91575@http://nikonrumors.com/forum/

As I'm leaving to Nepal in 10 days I also had this question: What to take along? in my head. So far I'm 99% sure that I'll take the following:
- d800 + spare battery
- around 100GB memory - SD and CF
- N24-70/2.8
- N300/4
- gps cable
- gps (old garmin summit)
- charger
- some filters
I'm also considering also the: N50/1.8 - though it doesn't perform that well on d800.
Would love to take more, but there's the weight factor - gonna carry it all by myself for most of the times. Unfortunately the lens I'm missing is a prime wide-angle - sth that goes around 14mm, maybe next time.

msmoto on "Four months out ‘in the field’ - what do you need?"http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=2734&page=2#post-91563
Tue, 08 May 2012 06:04:51 +0000msmoto91563@http://nikonrumors.com/forum/

I think knowing where you are going and what you plan to shoot is real important in making a decision, although surprises do come up, so you need to think about that.

This sums it up well. In packing my cameras, I think about what shots I want to end up with. The bodies/lenses necessary along with all the additional stuff such as lighting, backgrounds, extra stands, etc. Then, I attempt to go through a "worst case scenario" and think about what I will need to cover this. What to do in case of.....

Then, off to the races. And, sometimes I am wishing I had brought along additional or different equipment. But, this is the learning process. When on a commercial shoot, the amount of redundancy is very high. I do not know a client who is willing to listen to my lame excuses.

So, set up one's goals, the shot you want to get, then start there and expand as necessary.

Oh, I suspect our original poster is not anywhere to be found. Hope all is well with them.

Yetibuddha on "Four months out ‘in the field’ - what do you need?"http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=2734&page=2#post-91492
Mon, 07 May 2012 18:45:33 +0000Yetibuddha91492@http://nikonrumors.com/forum/

As several people have noted, what you carry depends on what you plan to shoot. On my trips to Africa, particularly last August/September, I carried a D7000, 70-300mm (for wildlife, 300 mm minimum is needed), zoom was very helpful, and Sigma 10-20 mm for landscapes. Now, I could not carry much and I already had these lenses at home, so no need to buy anything else. I really didn't need anything in between because I knew it was either landscapes or wildlife that I would shoot. I was gone three weeks. Took 3 8gb sd cards, no external flash, given what and how I planned to shoot. I had a small laptop and external hard drive and some filters, cleaning cloth and pocket rocket.

I think knowing where you are going and what you plan to shoot is real important in making a decision, although surprises do come up, so you need to think about that.

El_Pickerel on "Four months out ‘in the field’ - what do you need?"http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=2734&page=2#post-91488
Mon, 07 May 2012 17:58:40 +0000El_Pickerel91488@http://nikonrumors.com/forum/

When I went to Iceland, I brought, um, quite a bit...

Out of all that, I mostly just used the 16-35, 24, and 70-200. Next year I am going on the Appalachian Trail, so it will be interesting trying to pack camera gear for that. A couple I encountered walking southbound on the trail last year were only using a D40 and the DX 35mm f/1.8. There's no way I will go that light... I will probably have the 24mm f/1.4 and 70-200mm f/2.8. Or maybe I will just go with the Tamron 24-70 and Nikkor 70-200. Or maybe I'll go with the 16-35 and 70-200. Or maybe if I go full frame I'll do the 28mm f/1.8 and 85mm f/1.8. I won't really know until I throw stuff in a bag and get far enough away from my truck to not reconsider. :P

Mike Gunter on "Four months out ‘in the field’ - what do you need?"http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=2734&page=2#post-91441
Mon, 07 May 2012 13:15:51 +0000Mike Gunter91441@http://nikonrumors.com/forum/

Hi all,

Before becoming too specific as to the needs of the shooter, you would likely want to know what sorts of things he/she wants to shoot, whether there is a budget or not, and whether there will be a lot of moving from place to place or whether he/she will be based in one location. All of these variables will make a big difference it what to get, and how much to spend.

@fishnose "Some reflections: When in the field, you need to keep it as simple as possible. And as convenient as possible. Amongst other things: forget prime lenses. Stick with an all-round zoom"

I wish we had that advice. Of course, there were no zoom lenses sharp enough to use then, so we used only prime lenses. _You_ can use zoom lenses, but good ones with bokeh are heavy and dear. A scattering of primes in your bag will pay off in some low-light shoots in both DX and FX, should you go that route, and the cost is manageable.

I would stay with a body that had a screw motor that takes advantage of AF-S lenses and only buy AF-S lenses for FX bodies should you transition to that later.

Someone mentioned 2 4GB cards, I should think you'd want a collection of a dozen or so 16GB or 32GB cards at class 10.

Multiple flash work really distinguishes work with Nikon's CLS; I recommend that everyone consider 3 to 6 SB700s/SB910s - it will really make your work shine.

I never recommend after-market lenses. Sticking to Nikon has always served me well.

In Vietnam, my pack was at l00 pounds give or take (better than 2/3d's of my weight), and I also had my military kit to carry. We didn't have digital, and I carried B&W film and color transparency stock.

Again, it depends upon what one wants to shoot, where one is trekking, and so forth.

My best,

Mike

MikeWhis on "Four months out ‘in the field’ - what do you need?"http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=2734&page=2#post-91397
Mon, 07 May 2012 09:56:10 +0000MikeWhis91397@http://nikonrumors.com/forum/

Pseuds said:
Hi all, my first post! Have read a lot of posts and internet guides and can’t find any to answer my main question. My background: I’m 28, English, I did some photography at school with a lovely all manual film Nikon and spent some happy times taking photos and developing them in the darkroom, but nothing too serious. I have been too busy to enter into the digital era, but am now taking the plunge. My old man has shot Nikon all his life and currently has a D300, which I was impressed with and made me think of doing a bit of research. I’ve been reading NRs a bit (OK, a lot, I got caught up with D7000 rumours, then launch, then reviews etc) and have read lots of articles on ByThom, DPReview etc. Basically I’m rusty, but have read the D7000 manual online and wasn’t fazed by it, just looking forward to getting hold of it. I don’t think it will be too long before I am in a competent amateur comfort zone. I’m interested in landscapes, portraits and wildlife photography.

I am off to central Tanzania for 4 months in the new year, which has prompted my action. I will be living for the majority of the time in a simple house in a village, with occasional trips to a town, so am effectively out “in the field” for 4 months, with no camera shop, resources and only limited access to the internet.

I’ll be busy for most of the time, I’m out there doing a research project, so will be travelling to lots of different villages by 4x4, as well as doing some work at the local health centre (I’m a Paediatrician) but I’ll have my camera with me pretty much the whole time. I’m mostly interested in photos, but I will probably play around a bit with movies. I would quite like to make a mini documentary of the research project, for example, but it would only be for fun. As an added bonus, I will be only about 4 hours drive from three game reserves, so am hoping for plenty of weekend trips. All in all, a good opportunity to learn digital photography.

So, my Question: What do you need for 4 months in the field? I’m after specifics (ie brand and model) if possible. I will be learning to use the stuff as I go along, but without the option of going to a camera store to get things as I realise I need them as I become more proficient. I have a good starting budget, but it’s pretty much killed by the camera, more specifically the glass. I am going with the “buy the best glass you can afford”, school of thought, rather than incremental upgrades.

With the same amount of money I could get the D700 with 28-300 f/3.5 – 5.6, but I would prefer to get the 70-200 f/2.8 and eventually sell the D7000 and the DX lenses and move to FX with the D800 in the future. I think the D7000 will be easier for me to learn on.

My thoughts on other stuff:

Teleconvertor- thinking about second hand for safari, not sure on 1.7 or 2.0x magnification.
Memory cards- two 4gb enough?
Tripod- as good as I can afford, weight is going to be an issue
MacBook Pro- I don’t own a laptop, so am planning on this, will need this for research project as well as photo storage.
Software- Can I get away with the new iPhoto and post-process with software when I return back, or is it really worth just getting lightroom +/- CS5? I would prefer to defer buying software if I can.
Flash- SB 600
Filters- don’t know where to start or what I would end up needing.
Lens cleaning stuff- I read Thom Hogan’s article about this, is that what most people do? What specifically do I need? I am a bit paranoid about this, as I will be so isolated. I thought seriously about just getting the D700 with the 18-300 f3.5 – 5.6 for this reason alone, but changed my mind. How much of an issue is this likely to be for 4 months?
Books- Any must have books I should take?

Err that’s about all I can think of. Am I missing anything? What’s the longest you guys have been out in the field? There was a post on the forum where one chap was a war photographer, so the conditions there would be a hell of a lot worse than what I will be dealing with.

Thanks for any answers on any issue. I am sorry for the long post, hopefully any answers will be relevant for all new DSLR photographers.

My recommendations:
D7000
Sigma 17-50mm 2.8 (No doubt this is a good lens)
Nikon/Sigma 70-200mm 2.8 (Sigma's image quality is okay, for much cheaper price, but you must be willing to test the lens in the store to avoid any quality control problems)

8GB should be enough for JPEGs and 16GB should be enough for RAWs if you're bringing your computer.

Lightroom 4 only if you shoot RAW, or else just get a GIMP. (Photoshop is too much for photo editing)

Lens cleaning kit.

Decent flash.

As good of a tripod as possible.

Are you an Apple type of guy? If you're not, you could go for a Dell or Acer for similar specs at cheaper price.

msmoto on "Four months out ‘in the field’ - what do you need?"http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=2734&page=2#post-91375
Mon, 07 May 2012 05:56:58 +0000msmoto91375@http://nikonrumors.com/forum/

@Pseuds

Hope you have gone on your trip and took what you needed. How about letting us know the outcome? The recent posts are interesting. If I were going to the field for an extend time, two bodies are an essential element. Whether DX or FX, I would go with 16-35mmVR, 24-120mmVR, 70-200mm VR. 16GB cards, three. Extra battery. Blower can. Cover lens' front element with UV filter and clean only when absolutely necessary. Use waterproof bags for storage and lens changing. Lightroom4 in Macbook. Bodies.... a matter of money. Two D7000 bodies, or one of these plus a D3100. Maybe even a D700 or D800 plus a D7000. This gives the advantage of DX and FX. The teleconverters... either a TC-17E II or get the 1.4 and the 2.0. Can only be used on the 70-200mm.

So, Psueds, how did it go?

fishnose on "Four months out ‘in the field’ - what do you need?"http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=2734&page=2#post-91370
Mon, 07 May 2012 04:53:46 +0000fishnose91370@http://nikonrumors.com/forum/

Some reflections: When in the field, you need to keep it as simple as possible. And as convenient as possible.
Amongst other things: forget prime lenses. Stick with an all-round zoom, such as the 18-200 VR. IQ is great, perfect for the D7000. Yes I know the purists will complain, but we're talking practical 'in the field' here and not gee-whiz weekend warrior, not serious pro.
An advantage of a big zoom is no lens changing, and therefore no mirror or sensor cleaning. Also, no need for converters as the focal length of the 18-200 corresponds to 24-300 in 35mm. And that gets you a loooong way.
Always have at least 2 batteries, even 3. Take up little space. Cards: at least 3, and at least 8GB.
Mac - only if you LOVE Mac, otherwise take a fast PC laptop for half the money and more convenience. External HDD w USB3, at least 1TB. Never erase files on memory cards until the files are in TWO other places - on the laptop and on the exteranl drive. At least.
Might be a good idea to have an extra battery charger, they can blow.
Tripod: Carbon fiber Gitzo is sooooo sexy. Apparently. Get something light and small, not necessarily carbon, not necessarily Gitzo. Alternatives: Cullmann, Giottos, Slik. Ball Head. BUT if you'll be doing any amount of video recording, you'll need a video head instead. Ball head is almost unusable for video.
Bag/Pack: Backpack is by far the most convenient, keeps your hands free. Alternatives: Lowepro, Tamrac, Kata etc. I have 2 Lowepros, the Flipside 400AW is excellent. Flipside is good because no-one can nick your stuff when the bag's on your back.
Filters: Circular polariser, Clear Glass Protector.
Flash: Sigma, Nissin or Nikon, get a small bouncer or diffuser for it.
Strap: Comfortable, broad strap, preferably with some stretch. But a wrist strap (2-point, not 3-point) is the best. You can have the camera hanging on your hand effortlessly all day long. I haven't used a shoulder strap for many years, it's just in the way.
But most important advice: TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES. Evey picture you don't take is a lost opportunity. Rather take hundreds too many than 1 too few.

donaldejose on "Four months out ‘in the field’ - what do you need?"http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=2734&page=2#post-91342
Sun, 06 May 2012 23:45:06 +0000donaldejose91342@http://nikonrumors.com/forum/

Nikon has recently produced two lenses that I think are good general purpose starting points for any extended trip, especially one to a dusty environment. General Purpose Lenses: for FX there is the 28-300 and for DX there is the 18-200. I would start with these two lenses and leave them on my body as much as possible to be as ready as possible for that full range of wide to telephoto. Just pull the camera out of the bag, zoom to compose and shoot on one of the auto settings. Special Purpose Lenses: If I knew I was going on a wildlife safari that day I would put a 70-210 f2.8 (or a 200-400 f4) on as my default lens to start with. Also, a macro or low light lens could be your starting lens if you knew you would be needing them most. In the "olden days" you needed a bag full of primes. Today I would start with one of the two wide to tele zooms Nikon just produced and then add a few special purpose lenses to it.

Yes, I know the wide to tele zooms can suck dust in as they zoom. But I doubt this introduces as much dust into the body as changing between a lot of primes would in a dusty environment.

Might also be a good idea to keep a small flash (like the SB400) on the camera as your default fill flash to fill in deep shadows.

Godless on "Four months out ‘in the field’ - what do you need?"http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=2734&page=2#post-91339
Sun, 06 May 2012 23:03:26 +0000Godless91339@http://nikonrumors.com/forum/

If I was going to Tanzania, I would consider renting a 500mm f/4 and tripod for the safaris, if possible.

A relatively lightweight alternative to that would be an AF-S 300mm f/4 with 1.7xTC

spraynpray on "Four months out ‘in the field’ - what do you need?"http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=2734&page=2#post-52664
Mon, 10 Jan 2011 10:55:50 +0000spraynpray52664@http://nikonrumors.com/forum/

Amen to that one - I came back from an African safari that I took all my Olympus system stuff on and promptly swapped it all for an all-in-one SLR! All I used was macro, wide and medium telephoto out there so one camera and geeral purpose lens sounds perfect to me.

Unless you are a pro on a paid assignment and have to get the job done of course...